Railway foot bridge at stations is one of the station structures for use of passengers. Although it is a universal railway structure in Japan, its historical development is poorly understood until now. This paper describes the history of railway foot bridges on the Tokaido Line based on historical records and drawings in the Meiji era. As the results of this survey, the diffusion process from large stations to local stations, and the standardization process in the end of the Meiji era have become clear.

The line between Takasaki and Naoetu which belonged to the old Imperial Japanese Railways, and the line between Naoetu and Niigata which belonged to the old Hokuetu Railway Company were laid in Meiji Era to link Kanto areas with Japan Sea coast. After Hokuetu Railway Company was bought by the government, these lines were designated collectively as a Shin-etsu line. This report describes the history and present state of railway tunnels, taking an example of Shin-etsu line based on field surveys and historical records. There was on this line some 26 tunnels constructed with Abt track to climb the steep section between Yokogawa and Karuizawa at over Usui Pass. The tunnels between Nagano and Naoetu were constructed in the early stage of tunnel work in Japan, and the tunnels between Naoetu and Niigata were constructed by private railways.Through investigations of these tunnels, it has made been clear that the original tunnels were abandoned for reconstruction to be electrified and double-tracked, but most of them have remained in original forms, as a valuable heritage from the Meiji Era.

First derrick car called SO-1 type was designed for bridge erection by Japanese Government Railways, and 6 units of them had been built from 1920 to 1927. This derrick car was capable of erecting up to 70ft span and 28ton weight class plate girder bridge. Though based on the past similer idea, the car was an original one for railway use, and it contributed very much to construction of railway network at that time. This erection method was characterized in that it made the bridge erection safer, faster and more economical than the former staging erection. But it retired about 1960', because a new bridge erection has been developed thereafter, and a new derrick car SO-200 type appeared in 1960. This paper discribes a history of the first derrick car for bridge erection.

Railway foot bridge at stations is one of the station structures for use of passengers. Although it is a universal railway structure in Japan, its historical development is poorly understood until now. This paper describes the history of railway foot bridges on the Tokaido Line based on historical records and drawings in the Meiji era. As the results of this survey, the diffusion process from large stations to local stations, and the standardization process in the end of the Meiji era have become clear.

This paper describes a history and present state of railway tunnels, based on field surveys and histrical records, taking an example of former Kansei Railway Company (now JR-Kansai main line and its branches). Through this case study, it became clear that the tunnels have been bored to various inside shape and some of them have portals by special individual designs.

This paper describes the past and present state of railway tunnels, based on field surveys and historical records. In this second report the objects selected are the former Kyoto Ry. and Hankaku Ry., which were constructed to link Keihanshin district with Maizuru area in the 1890s, and the structural features of the tunnels on these railways are made clear here. These two companies were established with similar intentions, in similar periods, on a similar scale; later purchased by the National Railways of Japan, and now the greater parts of the lines have discontinued services upon completion of new lines. These tunnels are found very valuable as monuments to brick or masonry structures of the Meiji Era.